Summer is an ideal time to plan ahead by shopping summertime sales, and thinking about your Christmas cards. Summertime, between the weather and family vacations, provides lots of opportunities to capture family fun and spontaneity “on film” for a Christmas card photo. Consider hiring a professional to do the work.

If you’ve never considered paying for a professional to capture your family’s image for the annual Christmas Card, there are some good reasons to do so.

Christmas Cards are often a Do-It-Yourself effort for most people. After all, we send them to family and friends so there is not so much pressure to have a professional shoot for a non-event. On the other hand, as the quality and choice of Christmas cards continues to grow, we often find ourselves wanting our family images to be on equal footing. And if you’re like me, summer is an optimal opportunity to get that annual family portrait done, if not just for our tans and relaxed smiles, but also because no one wants to go through THAT again!

So here’s some of the main reasons why you should consider hiring a professional photographer to capture your next Christmas card images:

Creativity and artistic vision.
With a trained eye for arrangement, balance, and ideas about using color, clothes and even accessories, a professional knows how to transform an ordinary setting into the perfect scenic backdrop.

Training and expertise.
Professionals have been trained to understand and maximize lighting, angles, arrangement of subject matter. They can make adjustments to meet challenging conditions that the rest of us can only just pray about.

Equipment.
Professionals keep current and invest in rapidly-changing technology. More importantly, they know how to use their cameras to their maximum potential. How many of us are still trying to figure out just what some of the buttons do on our cameras? Their sophisticated lenses, filters and shutter speeds can capture the most nuanced of moments, often resulting in more truthful and profound images caught in the blink of a moment between poses.

Professionalism.
Control and confidence is the essence of a good professional photographer. His or her years of experience working with a variety people and settings are nothing a DIYer can offer. After all, when is the last time you kept your cool and composure when photographing your own children for the Christmas card?

Professional photographers typically charge a fee for the time required for your shoot (the “sitting” fee, whether or not you’re actually sitting). Additional costs for developed photographs depend on what you choose to order. Most can also provide you with a digital file to upload on a Christmas card website.

LookLoveSend.com is adding new photo Christmas Card designs every day to a growing collection of beautiful special occasion stationery. Browse our designs this year once you have a digital photo in hand. Our fresh, exciting designs are printed on the highest quality premium papers and make an excellent choice for a professional-grade photo image of your family.